The Usefulness of Nursing Theory in Guiding Nursing Practice in China: A Systematic Review

Background: Nursing theory is a critical aspect of nursing practice that provides a framework for understanding, interpreting, and analyzing nursing phenomena. However, the extent to which nursing theory is used to guide nursing practice in China remains unclear. Purpose: This research reviews the literature of experimental studies in Chinese core journals to analyze the extent of use and effectiveness of nursing theory in guiding practice. Methods: This study involves literature research in multiple databases and a review and evaluation of 35 studies. Results: Nursing theory-guided interventions have a positive effect on patient outcomes across a wide range of diseases and conditions in China. The most commonly used nursing theories were King's standard theory and Newman's model of health awareness. These interventions were effective in improving self-efficacy, quality of life, and psychological state in patients with chronic diseases, acute diseases, and cancer with 11 studies rated as strong, 10 studies as moderate, and 14 studies as weak. However, despite the variation in quality, nursing theory-guided interventions were found to be superior to conventional clinical care in improving patient outcomes. Implications for Practice: Nursing theory-guided interventions have a positive impact on improving patient outcomes, including self-efficacy, quality of life, and psychological well-being. Therefore, it is crucial for Chinese nurses to integrate nursing theory into their practice to provide evidence-based and quality care to patients.